Tips for Sicily? (SS 6.4)

**Germanicus75** · May 18, 2014, 07:41 AM

Hey Guys,

Does anyone have any tips for playing as Sicily. So far I have done the following:

- Taken Bari and kept it as a castle
- Taken Cagliari (Sardinia) and turned it into a town
- Building up my towns and castles but haven't attacked anyone yet

My forces are still quite weak and are mostly spearmen. I have 3 cities and 2 castles.

Who should I attack? It seems to me that factions like the Genoese and the Moors are too strong...

- Does anyone know why the Moors, Genoese and Aragonese keep attacking or landing armies at Cagliari? Is this settlement part of their game-winning objectives? If so, I fear they are going to bother me the whole game. The Moors keep attacking me for no reason.

Any tips much appreciated

Cheers! Germanicus75

**Duck of Death** · May 18, 2014, 08:13 AM

Good thing about Sicily, if you ally with Venice, you are protected from the north by them and the Papal States for a good long while.
Also, the Turks, Byzantinians and/or Egyptians probably wont be over to your neck of the woods for a while either.

I would concentrate on building up your forces quick as you can, maybe try to get at least trading opened with Aragon and offer them some paltry amount like 100 florins a turn for awhile if theyre bothering you.

Anyway, build up and go straight to Carthage (Tunis) to the south. I forget if the Moors start off with the 2 territories south of that... if so, start your invasion on their eastern-most territory and then you can roll west on them without having to worry about being surrounded.

I would keep going this way until you have conquered all the way to Marrakesh and confined the Moors remaining forces to Spain. Remember, theyll already have a two-front war going on against Castile, Aragon and Portugal, so theyll never be able to focus fully on you.

If you can do all that, then you should have enough of an Empire to defend NW Africa against the Moors in Spain while building up your defenses in the east for when the Egyptians eventually come at you from Benghazi.

**Germanicus75** · May 18, 2014, 09:03 AM

Thanks Duck of Death, that sounds like a reasonable strategy

Anyone else want to weigh in?

**Andytheplatypus** · May 18, 2014, 09:14 AM

As Sicily you have an advantage of probably the best starting location in the game. The ai is too stupid to ever really invade islands effectively. Allie with the strong factions on your borders and join with them against weaker enemies. Easy way to do that is to go raiding along the coast. Sack settlements that are lightly defended on the coast and leave them un garrisoned and continue moving.

**Ichon** · May 19, 2014, 12:20 AM

Always enjoy invading Greece with Sicily... I usually try the historical route at least once and the Normans were trying to capture Greece for quite awhile with only small diversion to north Africa. Then link up with Crusaders by invading and subduing Anatolia with a final showdown against Mongols after a 100 turns or so.

**Strengelicher** · May 19, 2014, 06:51 AM

Leave Cagliari alone, it is only trouble. You will always have several factions attacking it, probably has to do with how the campaign AI works. Taking Bari is OK, but will not get you anywhere, since the province is poor. Make sure you have an alliance and trade rights with the Pope and Venice right from the start.